Dual mode multimedia messaging

Abstract

Video communications between multiple computer systems configured to transmit and receive video content. A client transmitter is enabled to transmit a video message for display on the client recipient. The client transmitter is configured to transmit or record the video message to the video server. The video message is archived by the video server. When the client recipient is unavailable during the beginning of the transmission of the video message and when the client recipient is available later during the transmission of the video message, the client recipient is enabled to display the video message from the beginning of the video message while the transmission of the video message is still ongoing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations, comprising:
 executing a multimedia messaging application on a mobile communication device to alternately operate the mobile communication device in a video transmitting mode and in a video receiving mode; and 
 switching, in response to an interaction with a single virtual control of the mobile communication device, between the video transmitting mode and the video receiving mode; 
 wherein:
 while in the video transmitting mode, the operations include:
 capturing a first message of contiguous streaming multimedia data during a first time interval; and 
 beginning transmitting during the first time interval, to an intermediary receiving storage location in a network, the captured first message before the capturing of the first message ends; and 
 
 while in the video receiving mode, the operations include:
 receiving a second message of contiguous streaming multimedia data from an intermediary transmitting storage location in the network; and 
 beginning displaying the received second message on the mobile communications device during a second time interval before the receiving of the second message ends; 
 wherein, while receiving and displaying the second message in the video receiving mode, the switching includes interrupting the displaying of the second message, switching to operating in the video transmitting mode to capture the first message, and returning to the video receiving mode to resume the displaying of the second message, wherein a remaining portion of the second message is queued for displaying after completing the capture of the first message. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the interaction with the single virtual control a single tap of the virtual control, a single swipe of the virtual control, a single slide of a virtual button, and a release of the single virtual control on a touch sensitive display of the mobile communication device. 
     
     
       3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to receiving the second message of contiguous streaming multimedia data:
 determining that the mobile communication device is capturing the first message of contiguous streaming multimedia data in the video transmitting mode; and 
 queuing the received second message for display after completing the capture of the first message. 
 
     
     
       4. A mobile communication device configured for dual-mode multimedia messaging, the mobile communication device comprising:
 at least one processor configured to operate a multimedia messaging application on the mobile communication device to alternately operate the mobile communication device in a video transmitting mode and in a video receiving mode, and to switch, in response to an interaction with a single virtual control of the mobile communication device, between the video transmitting mode and the video receiving mode; 
 wherein:
 while in the video transmitting mode, the at least one processor is configured to:
 capture a first message of contiguous streaming multimedia data during a first time interval; and 
 begin transmitting during the first time interval, to an intermediary receiving storage location in a network, the captured first message before the capturing of the first message ends; and 
 
 while in the video receiving mode, the at least one processor is configured to:
 receive a second message of contiguous streaming multimedia data from an intermediary transmitting storage location in the network; and 
 begin displaying the received second message on the mobile communication device during a second time interval before the receiving of the second message ends; 
 
 
 wherein, while receiving and displaying the second message in the video receiving mode, the switching includes interrupting the displaying of the second message, switching to operating in the video transmitting mode to capture the first message, and returning to the video receiving mode to resume the displaying of the second message, wherein a remaining portion of the second message is queued for displaying after completing the capture of the first message. 
 
     
     
       5. The mobile communication device of  claim 4 , further comprising a touch sensitive display, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to switch between the video transmitting mode and video receiving mode in response to the interaction with the single virtual control of the mobile communication device wherein the interaction with the single virtual control of the mobile communication device includes, at least one of: a single tap of the virtual control, a single swipe of the virtual control, a single slide of a virtual button, and a release of the single virtual control on a touch sensitive display of the mobile communication device. 
     
     
       6. The mobile communication device of  claim 5 , wherein, in response to receiving the second message of contiguous streaming multimedia data, the at least one processor is configured to:
 determine that the mobile communication device is capturing the first message of contiguous streaming multimedia data in the video transmitting mode; and 
 queue the received second message for display after completing the capture of the first message. 
 
     
     
       7. A computer-implemented method of dual-mode multimedia messaging, the method comprising:
 executing a multimedia messaging application on a mobile communication device to alternately operate the mobile communication device in a video transmitting mode and in a video receiving mode; and 
 switching, in response to an interaction with a single virtual control of the mobile communication device, between the video transmitting mode and the video receiving mode; 
 wherein:
 while in the video transmitting mode, the method includes:
 capturing a first message of contiguous streaming multimedia data during a first time interval; and 
 beginning transmitting during the first time interval, to an intermediary receiving storage location in a network, the captured first message before the capturing of the first message ends; and 
 
 while in the video receiving mode, the method includes:
 receiving a second message of contiguous streaming multimedia data from an intermediary transmitting storage location in the network; and 
 beginning displaying the received second message on the mobile communication device during a second time interval before the receiving of the second message ends; 
 
 
 wherein, while receiving and displaying the second message in the video receiving mode, the switching includes interrupting the displaying of the second message, switching to operating in the video transmitting mode to capture the first message, and returning to the video receiving mode to resume the displaying of the second message, wherein a remaining portion of the second message is queued for displaying after completing the capture of the first message.